Cloud-computing Has A Silver Lining For FLOSS

While we potential users may argue the pros and cons of “Cloud Computing”, those who provide cloud-computing solutions are having to work hard for a living. That’s a pleasant change to having to pay the asking price to a monopolist, eh? I like that aspect of it. It’s also very efficient in that experts who should know how to run the service will fuss over it instead of the users or their randomly-hired staff. It is an ancient truth in the history of mankind that specialization is a good thing, all things being equal.

Of course the best laid plans can go wrong but we are still early in the evolution of cloud-computing. It should settle down to a routine sooner or later. In the meantime we can watch it, flee it or dive right in. While some see cloud-computing as a great role for FLOSS, others see software in the cloud as essentially non-free because the users don’t have any control over it. I think the competitive nature of cloud-computing will demand that FLOSS be used in the cloud because FLOSS is the most efficient way to obtain software. Further, putting compute/storage resources on the web reduces the need for big ugly client-computers. Instead, small cheap computers will be promoted and they almost always run FLOSS, so FLOSS wins both ways.

About Robert Pogson

I am a retired teacher in Canada. I taught in the subject areas where I have worked for almost forty years: maths, physics, chemistry and computers. I love hunting, fishing, picking berries and mushrooms, too.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.